They're Watching the City on the Hill

They Are Watching the City on the Hill 

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

All of creation is watching and waiting for Reformation.

Jesus said of the Church,

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Notice He spoke in the present tense.  We are the light of the world.  We are the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.  The world is watching us. 

At the same time, we are watching the world.  We are watching the violence, the divisions, the anger, the unforgiveness and the despair. 

And the world, including all of creation, is watching us and waiting for us to step forward and take our places as the sons of God. (Romans 8:19).

The sons of God must stand in unity against the forces of the enemy of our souls.  The turmoil in our culture is manifested in the political, but its roots are in the spiritual.  Only the sons of God can battle in the spiritual realm.

When Jesus went into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of His crucifixion, He didn’t chase out the money changers in Caesar’s court.  He cleansed His own house.  He cleansed the Temple.  Today, Christians are the Temple of God.  We must be busy cleansing the Temple.  Before any political reformation came about in history, it began with a cleansing of the hearts of Christians. 

We cannot experience true brotherhood in the world until we experience true brotherhood in the Church.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Epheseus, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

The desire of God’s heart is that Christians come together in unity–harmony within the church and harmony among the churches based on salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God. We are not called to be sports teams in competition with one another.  We are called to stand together and to usher in the Kingdom of God—His will done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweat drops of blood as He prayed for the unity of His followers throughout the ages: "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me” John 17:21-23. 

Psalm 133:1-3 declares the blessing in unity.  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing: Life forevermore.”

We often preach about loving the sinner and loving our enemies.  We seldom speak of loving other Christians with the agape love that our Father has poured out upon and through us.  The Word tells us that the world will recognize Christians by the love we have for one another: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13: 34-35).

The world is waiting for Christians to love one another.  In that unity is deliverance, freedom and peace. Unbelievers will be drawn to Jesus by the love we have for other believers. (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Oh, Lord God, may the world know us by the love we have for one another, by our unity in the Spirit, by the peace we have within our hearts and with one another.  Amen.

Rise Up O Church of God

By William Pierson Merrill

Rise up O church of God

Have done with lesser things

Give heart and soul

And mind and strength

To serve the King of kings

Rise up O church of God

His kingdom tarries long

Bring in the day of brotherhood

And end the night of wrong

Rise up O church of God

The church for you doth wait

Her strength unequal to her task

Rise up and make her great

Lift high the cross of Christ

Tread where His feet have trod

As brothers of the Son of Man

Rise up O church of God